Summary

Woolf begins her essay by saying that the reason she has written novels is because "a little figure rose before me – the figure of a man, or of a woman, who said, 'My name is Brown. Catch my if you can'" (1). She explains that this figure is that of an intriguing character that seduces the writer into writing a novel in order to portray them. Most writers, she says, will receive little compensation for their pursuit and will likely never achieve their goal in the first place.

Transitioning to the inspiration behind this particular essay, Woolf quotes fellow author Arnold Bennett, who says that the "foundation of good fiction is character-creating and nothing else," noting that young novelists are unable to create characters that are "real, true, and convincing" (1). Woolf takes issue with Bennett's claims, and announces that she wishes to discuss the concepts...